


Blue Skin Tells All

by ultimateficarchiver



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-04
Updated: 2010-08-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 22:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimateficarchiver/pseuds/ultimateficarchiver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John helps Radek relax.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue Skin Tells All

They'd been friends with the Fignust for a year. Their refined-grain-for-medical-supplies trading had worked out well and they had moved onto a type of foreign exchange program. It also seemed to result in a lot of parties. Everytime an Atlantis crew brought Dr. Beckett (after several kidnapping attempts he did not leave Atlantis without escort) the Fignusts announced a party. This time, given that the Fignust's were an ally second only to the Athosians, John invited Radek along under the guise of working on the water filtration plant.

In reality, his partner was over worked and completely stressed out and no matter how much John helped him with his work or made sure he ate or massaged his shoulders or snuck anonymous sappy notes into places just to give him a smile in the middle of the day, Radek would not relax.

\--

"Colonel Sheppard!"

John winced then turned to face his partners wrath. "Yes, Dr. Zelenka." The formality in public helped to keep them from getting confused about their work boundaries and their home boundaries and John was never as grateful for it as when the scientist was mad at the military instead of the guy who falls asleep holding him every time he can.

"The filtration system is fine. Is more than fine. Routine maintenance only today. Not even malfunction that could turn into something nightmarish if left alone. There was no need for me to come here. Now kindly assign one of your grunts to take me home."

"No can do Dr. Z. We can't afford to divide the protection force for Dr. Beckett."

"Fignust's are our allies. They will give you police to substitute for grunt."

"Sorry Dr. Z, policy is policy."

"You look happy about this. Not to mention you make policy. What you up to, Colonel?"

John launched into a full smile. "There's a party tonight, I thought you could use some fun."

Radek was obviously not happy, but as there was nothing he could do about it at this point he simply made his 'as my boyfriend you will pay for this' face and then turned on his heel and left.

\--

The moans of ecstasy coming from Radek as he ate the Fignust's bread-like delicacy were really doing amazing things for him.

"Mmm. John, you must have some."

He choose to take the use of his first name as a good sign that Radek was unwinding the tension that had invaded every cell in his body for the last few weeks. "Sorry, 'zadi, Rodney took one bite and spit it out and if Rodney doesn't think it's edible then I really don't want to go there."

"Reminds me of my mothers kitchen."

John raised his eyebrows. They'd talked about meeting each other's families the next time they were on Earth and had a chance. He made a mental note to pack plenty of power bars.

"As long as you enjoy it, 'zadi."

\--

Much later, when they had gone back to their guest rooms for the night, John opened the adjoining door to Radek's room and caught his lover unbuckling his belt, his chest already naked. John smiled and leaned in the doorway, enjoying the view.

"Your stealth ability needs work. I heard door open. Your eyes I can feel on me from there."

"Am I suddenly not allowed to stare, 'zadi?"

"Of course you can stare," Radek said stepping out of his lowered pants to reveal himself entirely and without anxiety. "I just like it better when you touch."

John took the comment for what it was - a challenge - and was across the room in an instant, still fully clothed, grabbing Radek by the neck to pull him into a long kiss. In seconds, their arms found their place around each other with acquired ease.

Finally, John pulled back and rested their foreheads together.

"Thank you, John. Lying to get me to come made me very angry but now I am so grateful."

"I wish I could have brought you sooner, 'zadi. I worry about you." John moved to kiss along his jaw. "I love you."

"I love you, as well."

John pulled back to look him in the eye and stiffened. Radek's skin was blue where John's lips and skin must have touched. "Radek, do you feel okay?" John pulled back, running his fingers over his lips, then his fingers over the blue spots. As he did they got darker. He pulled back further to see that everywhere his skin has touched Radek, his neck, his forehead, the man was now some shade of blue.

"Yes, John, I have not felt better. Are you okay?"

John flipped his comm. "Dr. Beckett?"

A yawning physician answered, "Yes?"

"Come to Doctor Zelenka's room immediately. Bring your bag."

"Aye," Beckett chirped off.

"John?" Worry was evident in Radek's tone.

"Put your pants back on," John ordered with his no nonsense 8-in-the-morning drill sergeant voice.

Radek did as he was told, and grabbed his rumpled shirt as well only to look back at a pale John. Radek reached for him, but he jumped away. "Look in the mirror." Knowing it was no use, Radek walked to the tiny face mirror on the wall by the door. He gasped, then he reached up to touch the marks as John had. "They got darker the longer I touched you I think."

There was a knock at the door then. "Radek?" Carson's voice came through the door.

Radek was closer to the door and he opened it.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"I don't know, one minute he was fine, the next he was blue everywhere I touched him." John plopped down onto the bed, only half there. Carson knew about them and had already processed that there must have been intimate activity and moved on.

Carson got out a pair of gloves from seemingly nowhere and had them on only a second later, feeling Radek's forehead. "Well he's not cold, as blue normally suggests in the human body."

"The colonel thinks it's darkest where he touched me longest," Radek chipped in.

Carson started quizzing both of them. Any unusual contact, what had they done, what had they eaten and drunk since they got here. Finally, he said, "Colonel, keep an eye on him, radio me if anything changes. I'm going to talk to our hosts."

John nodded, but wasn't quite all there. Radek moved to comfort him but John moved back too quickly.

"I don't want to hurt you, 'zadi."

Radek's heart skipped a beat, but he nodded in understanding.

\--

Carson returned a half hour later, looking relieved.

"It will pass," he announced.

"Oh thank god," John whispered.

"It's a rare reaction to the fafa bread Radek had at the party. It's a complicated sensory-emotional connection. Radek must have the genes for it. Different colors mean different things. Blue is for love. Green is for friendship. Red is hate. See?" Carson reached out an ungloved hand and touched Radek's wrist which turned a pale grass color. "The bread should be out of his system within 24 hours and all the color will dissipate then, but all will be fine. Until then, anyone who touches you and knows the color system will know how you feel about them."

"Is okay to be touched?" Radek asked, more for John then himself.

"Aye," Carson replied as he picked up his bag. "If anything else happens let me know immediately as we have a different immune system then the Fignust's do, but I don't foresee any problems lads." With a smile as he backed out of the room. "Carry on," he smirked.

Radek smiled at the door, but John was too focused on calming himself down.

The reality in the Pegasus Galaxy was that everything could be fine one second and literally fucked up beyond all repair the next. To be confronted with the possibility of loosing the most important person in your life cut deeper here then anywhere or any time previous.

Radek noticed John's concentration and patterned breathing and went over to him. What had been surreal to him was terrifying to John. Even as Radek sat down next to his lover on the bed and tried to take John's hand, John still tried to retreat from him.

"John." Platitudes had also lost their comfort in this galaxy and Radek knew better then to try placating John. Instead, Radek took John's hand and placed it over his chest, holding it there until the dark navy it was causing was visible as a border to the handprint.

John stared intently on where his hand met his lovers sternum. "'Zadi," he started but his voice cracked.

"John, let us not waste wonderful day. I want you." To prove his point he moved John's hand down to cup him through his pants. Then he leaned into John and kissed him.

\---

The next morning Dr. Zelenka got some stares for being blue all over until he and Carson explained that it was a response to the bread and that while perfectly safe was to be avoided by all team members in the future. The loving couple had decided that not only was complete skin tone change but also a precautionary ban on fifa bread would keep their secret safe.

Two days later, Radek had his normal skin tone back and everyone had moved onto discussing the pricks one of the botanists had gotten from a previously unknown plant defense.


End file.
